DUBUQUE - Monroe sophomore Jordan Hirsbrunner opened the track season with a bang, winning the title in the high jump at the 18-team Dubuque Invitational Friday.
Hirsbrunner cleared 5 feet, 2 inches to take first place in the high jump. As a freshman last year, she set the meet record (5-3) at the Dubuque Invitational at the University of Dubuque. After clearing 5-2 Friday, Hirsbrunner had the bar raised to 5-4 to try to break her meet record, but she missed at that height.
"It's a fantastic jump for her first meet," Monroe assistant coach Eric Wheeler said. "It's exciting to see her jumping like that in her first meet."
Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the team title 70.5 points-55 over Dubuque Wahlert. Monroe finished 11th place (18).
"We didn't set the meet up to win it," Wheeler said.
Five of the 18 athletes the Cheesemakers took to the meet were competing in their first varsity track meet.
"We wanted to go in there build some confidence and have them compete," Wheeler said. "We had some success and they did that."
Hirsbrunner also finished fifth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 4.36 seconds.
"It's a great time in the 400 for the first time this year," Wheeler said. "She is right where we need her to be."
The other top six finish for the Cheesemakers came from junior Abby Oudinot who took fifth place in the long jump (15-8 1/4). It marked Oudinot's personal best jump.
"It's only going to get better from there," Wheeler said of Oudinot's distance in the long jump.
Oudinot, who was a state qualifier in the triple jump last year with a best jump of 34-2 3/4, has already raised the bar this season.
"I'm confident that she can get to the high 34 feet or 35 feet," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said other surprises for the Cheesemakers included sophomore Casey Riley winning a heat in the 55 hurdles, sophomore Lexus Trickel in the 55 dash and freshman Payton Sigafus and Paige Bittner running on some of the Cheesemakers' sprint relays.
Monroe's next meet will be at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Tuesday.
Hirsbrunner cleared 5 feet, 2 inches to take first place in the high jump. As a freshman last year, she set the meet record (5-3) at the Dubuque Invitational at the University of Dubuque. After clearing 5-2 Friday, Hirsbrunner had the bar raised to 5-4 to try to break her meet record, but she missed at that height.
"It's a fantastic jump for her first meet," Monroe assistant coach Eric Wheeler said. "It's exciting to see her jumping like that in her first meet."
Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the team title 70.5 points-55 over Dubuque Wahlert. Monroe finished 11th place (18).
"We didn't set the meet up to win it," Wheeler said.
Five of the 18 athletes the Cheesemakers took to the meet were competing in their first varsity track meet.
"We wanted to go in there build some confidence and have them compete," Wheeler said. "We had some success and they did that."
Hirsbrunner also finished fifth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 4.36 seconds.
"It's a great time in the 400 for the first time this year," Wheeler said. "She is right where we need her to be."
The other top six finish for the Cheesemakers came from junior Abby Oudinot who took fifth place in the long jump (15-8 1/4). It marked Oudinot's personal best jump.
"It's only going to get better from there," Wheeler said of Oudinot's distance in the long jump.
Oudinot, who was a state qualifier in the triple jump last year with a best jump of 34-2 3/4, has already raised the bar this season.
"I'm confident that she can get to the high 34 feet or 35 feet," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said other surprises for the Cheesemakers included sophomore Casey Riley winning a heat in the 55 hurdles, sophomore Lexus Trickel in the 55 dash and freshman Payton Sigafus and Paige Bittner running on some of the Cheesemakers' sprint relays.
Monroe's next meet will be at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Tuesday.
